Answer: It Depends. Although the basic ingredients are usually vegan-friendly, some additional ingredients are not.
A fondness for crunchy appetizers knows no bounds! Takis are a delicious specimen- a blend of zippy flavors and heat, culminating in an enjoyable snack. Takes are famous for their unique appearance and the vast range of options.
With veganism on the rise exponentially, the question now is, are Takis vegan? Read on ahead to find out everything you need to know about Takis!
Table of Contents
What Are Takis?
Takis is an incredibly popular brand of corn chips. Barcel, a Mexican snack company, distributes these crunchy treats. What sets Takis apart from other chips is their distinct and quirky rolled appearance! It gives them an uncanny resemblance to a taquito- earning them the name “Takis.”
While Barcel has a decades-long history behind it, Takis mostly found their way onto household shelves only in the initial 2000s. As you can guess, they draw their essence from meaty, cheesy tortillas called taquitos.
Takis garnered the popularity they have today only after 2012, taking up the void left behind by Sno-Balls and Twinkies.
Takis are like a confluence of the strong, intense tang of corn that you may find in Fritos and the heat of Hot Cheetos. They pack quite a punch of seasoning and spices with a satisfying crunch. The little rolled-up tortilla chips are quite filling- a single pack can easily amount to four servings quite.
Takis are available in a wide assortment of flavors. If you relish a hot, sharp taste- Fuego has got you covered! For a slightly more subtle dash of flavor, you could try Nitro. There are about 18 flavors of Takis that you can choose from, with two others having been discontinued.
About Barcel: The Manufacturer of Takis
Barcel is best known for manufacturing Takis. It is a constituent part of Grupo Bimbo, established in 1950 in Mexico – with headquarters there. Barcel produces potato chips, confectionery items, and different types of snack foods. Barcel’s few other snacks that you may recognize include Churritos, Tostachos, Watz, and Tornados.
Are Takis Bad for You?
The year 2013 saw some serious allegations against Takis, with an anonymous article claiming them to cause ulcers and colon cancer. It was debunked and disproved, but you must note that junk food like Takis should always be subject to moderation.
In essence, yes, Takis are unhealthy for you. It is always better to turn towards homemade snacks and foods- no packaged snack is ever 100% safe.
Your health will be alright if you consume Takis in limited quantities. However, corn chips contain a deluge of harmful preservatives, fat, and sodium. If you overindulge in these chemicals, you could suffer from bloating, dehydration, and headaches.
Long-term effects of ingesting sodium and MSG can include hypertension, kidney failure, diabetes, and heart disease. You should limit yourself to one serving of Takis, or it could probe to have detrimental consequences on your health!
A specific health concern you should be wary of is that Takis contain BHA, BHT, and TBHQ. These terms stand for Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Hydroxytoluene.
They are chemicals that come from a synthetic origin, and snacks often contain them in considerable quarantined to prevent rancidity. Besides that, you can find them in cosmetics, rubber items, animal feed, and petroleum products as well.
The Department of Health and Human Services identifies BHA, BHT, and TBHQ as reasonably expected human carcinogens. It means you are at risk of developing cancer if you consume these chemicals even slightly more than your body is ready to handle.
Along with this, they also cause hyperactivity and erratic behavior to break out in children. While the FDA recognizes these chemicals to be generally safe for consumption as of now, you must avoid the threat as much as possible.
Ingredients in Takis
The best way to judge the risks and possible side effects of a snack is to take a look at its ingredients. Takis comprise a torrent of chemicals. In addition to the foundational ingredients like corn and palm oil, Takis contain onion powder, sesame oil, corn starch, and lots of salt.
All flavors of Takis have “seasoning,” which often includes maltodextrin, citric acid, and an array of spices. If you study the back of a Takis pack, you will find mentions of artificial flavors and colors too.
The artificial colors generally include FD&C Yellow 6 Lake and FD&C Red 40 Lake. To complement the flavors, Takis also have some natural tastemakers. Other ingredients in Takis are garlic powder, chicken fat, milk, and egg.
You will also find sodium citrate and traces of lime in these fiery, crunchy corn chips.
Are Takis Gluten-Free?
No, Takis are not gluten-free. According to the brand, they do not create gluten-free products. The company makes them in facilities that may often process wheat as well. It is outlined on the back of Takis packs.
While Takis themselves may not appear to contain gluten ingredients, they are bound to have traces of the same. If you have any degree of sensitivity to gluten, you should avoid consuming Takis. This applies to people with Celiac Disease too.
So, Are Takis Vegan?
There are many snack companies in the market today that strive to be in stride with veganism. However, Takis are not one of these snack labels. The brand does not specifically create different vegan flavors.
With this in mind, you can find certain flavors that do not utilize any non-vegan elements- gaining a vegan status.
According to Barcel, the primary and foundational ingredients in Takis are vegan. The non-vegan ingredients come in the form of additives, seasonings, and flavors. Some flavors contain additions of milk and eggs.
Often, Takis also hold chicken fat.
There may be instances where the ingredients may not seem to contain any non-vegan elements right away. You must keep an eye out nevertheless- Takis with guacamole contain dairy. Crunchy Fajitas Takis and Xplosion flavors also have milk, eggs, and cheese.
Here is a closer look at the vegan flavors of Takis:
- Fuego (contains soyabean oil)
- Zombie
- Salsa Brava
- Nitro
Takis Chips Alternatives That Are Vegan
It is an undeniable truth that vegans live healthier than consumers of all kinds of food and chemicals. Even so, sometimes a packaged snack or some junk food is irresistible!
Not all flavors of Takis are vegan, and there is persisting confusion about the ones that are. You do not need to worry- there are several alternatives to Takis that are vegan.
Here are some of the best alternatives to Takis chips that are vegan:
Lay’s Classic Potato Chips
While they may not pack the same spicy punch as Takis, these chips still make for a good crunchy snack. It is a mild flavor with vegan ingredients. This flavor only contains salt, potatoes, and oil.
What’s more, is that these chips are gluten-free as well- since the brand intends to accommodate special dietary needs too.
Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili
Doritos come closer to Takis when you talk about taste. Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili corn chips contain a tingling mix of flavor- all rising from plant-based ingredients. These ingredients include but are not limited to corn, vegetable oils, salt, sugar, and natural flavors. However, you must note that Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili contains soy sauce which is a product of soy, wheat, and salt.
Original Salsitas Spicy Salsa Flavoured Tortilla Rounds
To say that the Original Salsitas Spicy Salsa Flavoured Tortilla Rounds are unique and savory would be an understatement. They do not contain any animal products, either! The brand makes these tortilla rounds from avocado and tomato.
Beanfields Bean Chips Jalapeño Nacho
Beanfields Bean Chips Jalapeño Nachos will deliver the burst of seasoning that any Takis flavor would. They come with a rich taste and intense heat- all the while being vegan-friendly. Their base ingredient is beans.
In addition to that, these nachos contain brown rice, sunflower oil, and paprika. Another advantage of this flavor is that it is gluten-free as well.
Grippo’s BBQ Potato Chips
If you are fond of BBQ flavors, Grippo’s BBQ Potato Chips are certainly your cup of tea. It is Cincinnati’s favorite chips manufacturer, and with good reason!
The variant is wholly plant-based and free from animal products. It boasts a rich and smokey barbecue flavor too.
To Sum Up
Takis is a mouth-watering, crunchy snack. If you crave a hot, finely-seasoned treat, a pack of Takis corn chips is bound to deliver what you seek.
Disregarding this, you should know that Takis are not healthy. Significant intake of the chemicals, additives, and preservatives in Takis can lead to bloating, ulcers, diabetes, and even cancer.
Another point you must note is that Takis chips are not all vegan. The brand has not come forward to differentiate between vegan and non-vegan qualities. It does not have a separate line of vegan variants, either. Even so, if you look at the ingredients, some flavors, like Salsa Brava, are vegan.
If you seek the same punch of tang that Takis offer, you could try out alternatives like Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili!
